Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Sunday he has instructed Finance Minister Bill Morneau to begin “formal financial discussions” with Kinder Morgan. The aim is to get rid of the uncertainty surrounding the company’s proposed pipeline expansion project.

“Construction will go ahead,” Trudeau said at a press conference after meeting with B.C. premier John Horgan and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.

The government is also “actively pursuing” legislative options to “assert” and “reinforce” the federal government’s jurisdiction over the pipeline.

The prime minister revealed few details on the planned legislation and upcoming financial discussions, but he did share that the closed door talks between Morneau and Kinder Morgan “are happening” in Calgary, Toronto, Houston and New York.

“As soon as we have something to announce we promise you we will let you know,” he said.

Horgan and Notley joined Trudeau, Morneau and Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr to discuss the next steps for the floundering project, which would expand an existing pipeline to the B.C. coast. Notley and Horgan have been at the centre of a feud over Kinder Morgan’s future as Horgan’s fight against the pipeline has clashed with Notley’s insistence the project go forward.

“This specific meeting was very much about bringing together two premiers who have very clear differences and approaches and, particularly, impressing upon British Columbia that the federal government will be exerting its constitutional authority to move forward on projects in the national interest that cross provincial boundaries,” Trudeau said.

Notley said she left the “frank discussion” feeling “quite confident” that, should the planned talks between Morneau and Kinder Morgan be successful, “the pipeline will be built.”

“That is good, because the project is in the national interest,” she said.

While Horgan also said the conversation was “frank,” he was less enthused with the outcome. He said he continues to disagree with Notley and Trudeau and will move forward with his constitutional reference case in an effort to determine who has jurisdiction over the project.

That will be filed in the coming days.

“My responsibility is to defend our coast, to defend the interests of British Columbians and I’m going to do that until I’m no longer the premier,” he said.

Trudeau did not comment directly on Horgan’s planned legal action, but was firm in his insistence that the government is “going to get the pipeline built.”

The prime minister also made it clear that the B.C. government’s interests do not upend what the federal government has decided is in the national interest.

“We are one country. The federal government is there to ensure that the national interest is upheld,” Trudeau said.

Horgan is not the only vocal opponent of the project, however. While dozens of communities in the pipeline’s path have signed impact benefit agreements with Kinder Morgan, Indigenous protestors have been a fixture of the resistance against the pipeline. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs is among those Indigenous opponents.

“Kinder Morgan cannot proceed without the consent of the First Nations along its path, so many of which oppose it,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the UBCIC, in a press release from February 8.

“The approval process for this pipeline … featured the most extensive consultation of Indigenous communities across this country ever seen,” he said, adding the government “continues to engage regularly” with Indigenous people who have concerns about the project.

Prominent politicians have also weighed in on the contentious pipeline proposal. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said on Twitter that while he was pleased to see the two premiers come together to meet with the prime minister, he was “disappointed that Indigenous voices were left out.”

Pleased to see Premier Notley & Horgan had a positive meeting with PM Trudeau, but disappointed that indigenous voices were left out.

The Liberals created this mess when Trudeau went back on his word & approved this pipeline using Harper’s fundamentally flawed review process.

“It’s an affront to democracy. Canadians should know where their money is going and they shouldn’t be bankrolling a giant Texas corporation by providing new subsidies to a major fossil fuel project.”

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer also held a press conference to express his concerns about Trudeau’s handling of the pipeline dispute. He said the prime minister took too long to respond to the issue, insisting Sunday’s meeting should have been held long ago.

“It’s not like this was a surprise … he’s known this was coming for months.”

Scheer also expressed his disapproval of the planned financial talks between Morneau and Kinder Morgan.

“I think we can all agree that having taxpayers’ money used to backstop a project like this is not the preferred solution.”

Despite criticism from Scheer, Horgan and Indigenous communities, the federal government has a deadline to meet.

Kinder Morgan has given the government until May 31 to get the project on track.